b"Chapter 9 Whether you are at a crossroads with a decision or have a problem that is drainingyou,ifyouapproachtheproblemproactively,youcanavoidsuch negative feelings of self-doubt and hopelessness.Focus on what you can do, rather than things that are out of your control, and feel satisfied that you did your best.Here are a few tips to help you in your problem-solving process:1.Define the problem: what is happening exactly? Sometimes a problem simply seems too big to solve. However, if you make a list and break it down into smaller parts that you can start solving, it will seem more manageable.2.Set goals: focus on the steps you can take to solve the problems, rather than just thinking about what you would like to happen.3.Think about possible solutions: be creative and find as many solutions as youcanimagine.Someideasmaybefarfromwellknown,butdon't bother evaluating them yet.Keep an open mind and list everything that comes to mind, plausible or not.4.Rule out all the obvious mediocre options: evaluate your list of ideas and eliminate those that are unrealistic or unnecessary.5.Considertheconsequences:reviewtheoptionsyouhaveleftandfor each, write down a list of their pros and cons.6.Identify the best solutions: now is the time to make a decision. Review your list of options and pick the ones that are the most convenient and useful.Theremaybeanobvioussolution,orsomemayworkin combination.7.Put your solutions into practice: be confident in yourself and commit to trying one of your solutions.8.How did it go?So, you tried it.What happened? If you had more than one solution and the first one didn't work, move on to another. 284Germain Decelles"